Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Holding out a white dress with frills above my shoulder, she narrows her eyes and thins her lips as though she’s thinking hard. “No. Never mind.” She goes back to the wardrobe and sticks her head inside while I just stand there watching her.
Again, she pulls out a dress. This time, it’s a little black dress with studded gems on the rims of the shoulder straps. She holds it over my body and smiles gleefully. “Perfect.”
I frown. “Is this really necessary?”
She cocks her head and furrows her brows right back at me. “Of course, silly. You need to look perfect for Eli.”
She bends over, pulls my nightgown straight over my head, and throws it aside.
I cover my boobs while she picks up the new dress. “Here. Put it on.”
“Why do you do all of this?” I ask, trying to reason with her in the hopes of gaining a new ally even though her frivolousness makes me want to scream. “Don’t you see he’s keeping me a prisoner here?”
“Everyone says that,” she says, shrugging. “No one knows how badly they need this until it’s all over.”
I make a face. “Who is everyone?” I ask, my heart racing in my chest. “There are others?”
She sucks in a breath until her chest grows tight and her lips are thin. “I’m not in a position to discuss those matters,” she says. “But rest assured that Eli only wants the best for you.”
She throws the new dress over my head and pulls it down my legs. “There. Go on, have a look.” She nudges me toward the mirror. “Beautiful, right?”
I look at myself, but all I see is a vapid shell of a girl.
But I don’t know if that’s because I was brought here … or because of what came before.
“Why do you help him?” I ask, staring at her through the mirror, wondering why any girl would ever do this to another.
She places her hands on my shoulders and rubs her lips together. “Because I’ve seen what he can do, and I believe in it wholeheartedly.”
I turn around to face her. “What does he do? You have to tell me why he did this to me.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s not my place.”
“But you must know, right?”
She shakes her head again. “Sorry. I don’t know about your sins. Like I said, I simply do the chores and help where help is needed.”
My stomach churns, and I look down at my feet. “Okay.”
This girl probably won’t be of much use after all. So much for getting allies.
“Oh, right! I forgot!” Her cheerfulness has me momentarily lift my head in the hopes that it’s worth it. But when she pulls a pair of pumps from the wardrobe, my heart immediately sinks into my shoeless feet.
She goes to her knees and puts on the pair of pumps like I’m Cinderella waiting to be picked up by Prince Charming. But Eli is no Prince, and nothing about being kept like a prisoner is charming.
She puts up this huge smile when she’s done. “You look gorgeous. Ready?”
I shake my head. “No.”
She laughs. “Of course you are, silly.” She winks. “Unless you mean you still need to put on your special panties.”
My eyes widen. Special panties. Does she mean …?
“No,” I blurt out.
“Relax, I’m just kidding.” She taps my shoulder, and it’s the first time in ages I’ve had the urge to bite someone’s fingers off. “If Eli wanted you to wear something underneath your dress, you’d know.”
So I’m going naked? I shiver from the thought. From all the things I’m imagining right now, all the ways Eli might touch me underneath the table, his calloused hands sliding across my thigh.
I clench my legs together.
Can I even do this? Can I play along without losing myself in this game of his?
The girl turns around and beckons me. “C’mon. He’s waiting.”
“Wait,” I say as she opens the door again. She pauses, so I ask, “What’s your name?”
“Mary,” she replies.
“I’m Amelia,” I say. “Nice to meet you.”
I don’t want to be nice, and nothing about this is nice, but I don’t want to burn my bridges just yet. Maybe she could be of some use, someday.
She snorts. “Eli already told me your name.”
Right. Of course, he has. Nothing is secret here in this House of Sin.
She promptly spins on her heels again, her movements featherlight like a bird fluttering off.
I swallow and push myself away from the wall again. I could stay, fight against the command to have breakfast with him, but what good would that do me? Just so he can come and give me more punishment?
The mere thought of being pinned to that bed and forced to come again makes me quiver. It’s better for me if I just do what he wants for now.